Barcode label printing software for shops

Barcodes are one of the fastest ways to cut time at the till and stop price mistakes. But a barcode POS is not only about reading codes. You also need barcode label printing software for items that have no factory barcode, in the size that fits your labels. In this article we cover scanners, internal codes, label sizes and printers.

Why barcodes?

When the cashier types an item's name or searches for it, time is lost and it is easy to pick a similar item at a different price. Scanning a barcode picks the right item in a second, so the invoice is faster and stock is more accurate, because every piece that left is the piece that was recorded.

The benefit doesn't stop at sales. When goods arrive from a supplier you can scan items to check quantities, and during a count you scan a piece instead of searching for it by name. The more items your shop carries, the more a barcode is worth.

Scanner: USB or phone camera?

Most wired barcode scanners that plug into a USB port act like a keyboard: they read the code, «type» it into the program and press Enter. So you usually don't need special drivers. Plug in the scanner, open the sales screen and try an item.

Before you buy a scanner, test it on real items from your shop: shiny bags, curved bottles and small labels. Some cheap scanners struggle with these surfaces, so they need several tries and you lose the speed you paid for.

If you don't have a scanner, you can scan with a phone or tablet camera. That works for quieter shops, or for counting while you walk between shelves. At busy times a scanner is faster and easier.

Items without a factory barcode

Accessories, scarves, local products and items packed in the shop often have no barcode. The answer is to give each item an internal code in the system, then print a label for it. If you have items in sizes or colours, give each size and colour its own code, so a scan takes the right piece off stock.

A simple rule: never use the same code for two different items, and don't change the code of an item that already has labels on the shelf.

If you change the price of an item that carries a label with the old price, print new labels for the pieces on the shelf, so a customer doesn't see one price and pay another at the till.

Label sizes

Before buying a roll of labels, measure the label that suits your products. Common sizes for small items are 38×25 or 40×30 mm, and there are smaller, longer sizes such as 50×12 mm for jewellery and accessories. For small quantities you can also print on an A4 sheet of labels with a regular office printer.

What matters is that the label size in the software matches the roll you have exactly, or the print comes out cut off or shifted.

The right printer

For printing labels in quantity, shops usually use a thermal label printer, which is different from a receipt printer. Before buying, check three things: the widest label the printer supports, how it connects to your device, and that you test-print a real label from the software on that same printer before buying a big stock of rolls.

What goes on the label?

A small label can't hold everything. Keep to the barcode, a short item name, and the price if you want customers to see it. Very small text or a squeezed barcode may not scan, so print a test label and try it with the scanner before printing hundreds.

Put the label in the same place on each type of product, away from curves and edges, so the cashier finds it quickly and the scanner reads it the first time.

How CARMA HUB helps with barcodes

• Scanning with a USB scanner or a phone or tablet camera.
• A label designer with ready sizes: 50×12, 40×20, 38×25, 40×25, 40×30, 50×25 and 50×30 mm, a 58 mm roll, an A4 sheet, and a custom size.
• Items in sizes and colours on one card at the till, each with its own balance.
• 58 or 80 mm thermal receipts and A4 and A5 invoices.

Read also POS for clothing shops and 10 questions before you choose a POS system. See all features, check the pricing, and try it free for 7 days with no card.